All the hype has seemed to die down about the Long Island serial killer who is still unidentified. No news reports, no articles, nothing.

To stay on top things though, especially if you live in Long Island then I recommend you bookmark this page. “Long Island Serial Killer News”

Back in August 2012 police released a sketch of one of the victims, seen below.

And more recently a gold necklace has been found on Long Island Beach. Other than that not much else seems to be discussed.

Recently a journalist interviewed David Berkowitz who shot and murdered six people, and wounded seven others, with a .44 revolver during his reign of terror several decades ago in New York City.

It is a chilling interview and a rare insight into the person Berkowitz is today. I recommend this read.

“I was once an evil person”

I came across an interesting article the other week and I thought it would be something worth sharing. We all love shows like CSI, Criminal Minds and NCIS and what we don’t realize is the hours of hard work and dedication these forensic investigators have to put in to solve murder cases. You can imagine how awful it is when such cases go unsolved, not only for the family of the victims but also for the investigators on the cases.

Leaps and bounds in technology have today made things alot easier when processing crime scenes. DNA evidence for instance used to be, back in the 80′s, so complicated that it used to take alot of evidence or samples to get any kind of result however in today’s brave new world of science, a simple strand of hair or drop of blood is all it needs in order to process DNA.

This is why cases which go unsolved for so long have evidence stored safely somewhere so that at a later date it can be processed for DNA.

Carol Burke runs the sex-crimes division of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and also is devoting her spare time to tracking down the DNA of convicted rapists, murderers, and serial killers who have died in the hopes that these unsolved cases can be closed.

Her goal is to get as many cold cases solved as she can by matching swabs of known felons with evidence from unsolved-crime scenes. The article I read stated that “Anne Marie Schubert, who is in charge of child-abuse cases upstate in the Sacramento D.A.’s office, Burke helps to run a project called Dead Man Talking, which has brought the pair closer than ever to bringing justice to the cases of some of the most sadistic serial killers in California history—even if the culprits themselves are long gone.”

They go on to say “It’s really rewarding, There is a lot of value to it, even though we can’t prosecute the offenders because they are dead. Families can at least have some closure. They finally know what happened to their loved ones.”

At this moment in time there are approximately 2 million felon profiles in California and on top of that there are 25,000 pieces of evidence from crime scenes such as murders, rapes, burglaries and robberies. Both these ladies will have alot of work on their hands looking at cigarette butts, blood from bedsheets, fibers, hair and skin samples.

Anne Marie Schubert said that since 1984, close to 25,000 inmates died in a California prisons or on parole. 19,000 of those felons were never swabbed for DNA before they died and over 40 were on death row. This operation can definitely help with so many cases which are sitting there untouched.

Trying to find traces of these known criminals will be a difficult and challenging feat for these woman yet the reward will be far greater than the effort.

From out of the chaos of Hurricane Sandy comes an active serial killer doing the rounds in Brooklyn NYC.

NYPD have publicly announced that they are currently looking for a “tall, balding man with a moustache who was seen on surveillance video wearing an overcoat and carrying a black duffel bag near the scene of the latest shooting. This suspect is wanted in connection with the shootings of thee store keepers in Brooklyn where all the victims are of Middle Eastern decent

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced that “The possibility of a bias motive here is something that can’t be excluded.” FBI behavioural specialists and Detectives within the Hate Crimes department have joined the case and witnesses have all be questioned.

After investigating the latest shooting detectives found that the same gun was also used in the fatal shootings of the other two shopkeepers. Ballistics matched a .22-caliber gun shell casing in each of the murders.

On July 6, Mohamed Gebeli (65 years), an Egyptian immigrant of Muslim faith was found dead in the back of his shop “Valentino Fashion Inc. Isaac Kadare (59 years) was found on the 6^th August. Kadare was an Egyptian of Jewish faith who owned the store “Amazing 99 Cent Deal”. The latest victim 78-year-old Rahmatollah Vahidipour was from Iran who was of Jewish faith. Vahidipour was found in his women’s clothing store on Flatbush Avenue on Friday.

Each store is within 4 miles of each other and each had the number eight in their address. The shops didn’t have any surveillance cameras and each owner was alone in the store at the time of the shooting. This leads investigators to believe that the stores and the shop owners where canvassed for some time before the killings took place.

Kelly has told Brooklyn shop owners to be on high alert and to call 911 at the first signs of trouble.

I have to admit that apart from my posts about serial killers in South Africa I haven’t really paid much attention to other countries. Australia has their fair share of maniacal killers and one of these is Ivan Milat who killed seven backpackers whose bodies he dumped in the Belanglo Forrest only 100 kilometers SW of Sydney.

Recently skeletal remains of a young woman found 2 years ago in this Australian forest may be those of a German backpacker. Police were unable to identify the body at the time so they called her “Angel” after the T-shirt she was wearing.

This victim is aged between 13 and 25 years old and forensic tests conclude that she died up to 10 years earlier. Her remains show signs of injuries and her death will be treated as suspicious.

It is scary to think that her remains were located in the same forest where Ivan Milat killed his seven victims, some of whom were 3 German backpackers. Police doubt that this victim “Angel” was one of Milat’s because she died after he was incarcerated, however there are theories that Milat didn’t act alone.

Police have also received some information relating to “Angel’s” identity. They have said that she may have been a German or European backpacker who was employed at a vineyard in Western Australia around the year 2000.

Moses Sithole is a famous serial killer to come out of South Africa. He raped and murdered over 38 women and was sentenced to service 2410 years in prison. You can read more about him here.

It comes about that last week he lost a prison bid to prevent him from being moved from the prison in Johannesburg where he is now to a prison in the Free State. Sithole complains to the courts that he was not given prior notice of this move and that it would be an “inconvenience” to him as he would have to reapply to study again.

Sithole argues that moving him to this prison in the Free State is “inhumane, inconsiderate and unconstitutional”.

Well I’m very sorry Mr Sithole but did any of that cross your mind when you murdered those women? Did you not think that it was “unconstitutional” to take their lives from them?

Sithole says “When you move to another place you have to reapply at varsity. I have lost money and now owe the university R1 000 because of the move. I must [also] reapply to have a computer so I can study.”  Does this guy know that he is in prison for 2410 years! If you are studying, then what are you studying for? Where do you think you will use your degree? You will never be released!

I also think it is not fair to let you take these courses at a fraction of the price where others who are trying to live out there as free people are paying R1000’s, some of whom may never get a job to use their new qualifications.

The reason Sithole is being moved from Johannesburg to the Free State is because of overcrowding. Currently the prison he is in has 200% overcrowding! Not the best place in the world for a “high risk” prisoner of Sithole’s calibre. Think of those movies where things go wrong and the serial killer escapes, now would you rather have him there or in a more high maximum prison.

What makes me laugh is that Sithole said he wasn’t informed that this move was going to happen! Well I love what the courts said in response to that – “With high-risk prisoners you can’t tell them before they are transferred. Next thing you’ll have people waiting for you along the way.”

Anyway, when all is said and done this serial killer will be moved, kicking and screaming if needs be. The gavel came down and the Judge said,  “Your application as it stands has no merit and is dismissed.”

Police in Niagara Falls (N.Y) are trying to stem the flow of rumors surrounding the death of Loretta Gates as being the work of a possible serial killer.

Loretta went missing on the 25th August after leaving her home to go to a convenience store. Four days later her headless torso was pulled from the Niagara River close to the Rainbow Bridge.

When news of a similar murder in Canada reached Niagara Falls people became worried however police state that the woman murdered in Canada was killed by her estranged boyfriend who is in custody.

Former Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark said “90 percent of the people who are victims of homicide are killed by people they know.”

Clark believes that the killer in Niagara Falls dismembered Gate’s body to hide or dispose if it rather than exact out rage or frustration on the corpse.

At present there is no suspect and police welcome any information which can lead to the arrest of the killer. An article posted by WIVB.com provides further information.

In light of the recent shootings in America David Berkowitz, famous serial killer from the 1970s has decided to address the nation and speak out against America’s obsession with gun violence.

Now to be honest this is a very touchy subject at best, especially in light of the Aurora cinema and Sikh Temple shootings.

Berkowitz, famed for being known as “Son of Sam” and “44 Caliber Killer” expressed his concern when he said that ‘society has to take the glory out of guns.’ Berkowitz was interviewed from the maximum security Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, N.Y by the New York Daily News where he is currently serving his sentence of 25 years to life for the murder of six people by shooting.

Berkowitz goes on to say that ‘young people are losing direction and don’t value life.’ He said that young people today don’t realize ‘just how terrible this violence is’ and that ‘When they use a gun … they ruin their lives too.’

So after months of waiting, and hoping he doesn’t get it, I have finally got an update on the parole hearing Kemper was to have this year and guess what? No parole hearing is to be had after all.

I must have trawled the web for at least 3 days looking for news and updates when I finally came across a little known blogger who actually did a bit of leg work to find out what was potting. It turns out that in February this year Kemper decided to have his rights waived for the parole hearing which was due on the 25th July 2012.

If you remember rightly, back in 2007 his parole was denied due to the severity of his crimes. The defense argued that he should be granted parole because he has been a “model prisoner”. Sorry mate – not good enough!
So in closing we can all sleep a little easier knowing that one of America’s most prolific serial killers is not up for parole this year.

Phew!

A friend of mine wrote a letter to Peter Sutcliffe a few years ago and actually got a response! Too bad she was way to chicken to open the letter and see what it had to say. Instead she gave it to a close friend for safe keeping!! Well I can promise you that I will make it my mission to find that letter and post it on here when it surfaces!

This got me thinking though – Would I have the goonies to write to a serial killer myself? The answer HELL YEAH!

Let’s be sensible about this though so in true geeky serial killer fashion I hit Google and trawled around for some info on how to go about doing just that. I have come up with the below!

Now serial killer fans! Please be careful if after this post you decide to contact one of these guys yourself! They murdered people, for real! They are not movie characters and are VERY DANGEROUS. I have provided some valuable hints and tips which I came across on another site for you so just be sure to take care!

First and foremost you need to think about which serial killer is a) still alive and b) who you find interesting. Then you need to get a hold of their prison (or mental hospital as the case may be) address. Now because we all want this info like yesterday… I have provided the below treats for you:

Peter Sutcliffe 7589
Broadmore Hospital
Crowthorne, Berkshire
R611-7E6
United Kingdom

Charles Manson, B-33920
4A 4R-23
P. O. Box 3476
Corcoran, CA 93212

Dennis Nilsen B63006
HRP Whitemour
Longhill Road
March Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom

Edmund Emil Kemper III # B52453
P.O.B. 2000
Vacaville, CA 95696

David Berkowitz 78A1976
Sullivan Corr. Fac.
Box AG
Fallsburg, NY 12733

Now for the safety bit.

I highly recommend that if you are a minor that you get your parents permission before even writing the letter! This is not a game and these guys are dangerous, manipulative and might one day come up for parole (and be successful).

1. Use common sense.

2. Keep yourself anonymous (unless you want them pitching up for a BBQ). Use a PO Box or an address which cannot be traced directly back to you. Remember if they have your address they could get your phone number! Also – rather use a made up name or alias.

3. Try not if you can discuss their crimes or trials. There may be legal clauses in place where they cannot divulge information. Rather keep the topics around every day life, what they are up to, books they read or movies they get to watch. Once you build up a rapport then you could probably sneak in a question or two about their crimes. Just remember, these people also have the right to reserve their replies as well.

4. If you want a reply then enclose a pre-stamped envelope which has your return address already printed on it. And if you want to get on their good side you may enclose a few blank envelopes as well. Just in-case they want to write to family or spouse (they do have these you know).

5. Don’t feel like it was all in vain if you don’t get a reply. Sometimes serial killers (especially famous ones) get hundreds of letters – so try again and again if you need to.

6. Don’t be a puppet! If you think you are being used in any way (monetary or emotionally) then break off contact immediately! Don’t offer favors either. Just be careful – they are manipulative!

7. No hate mail! They already have been judged and won’t appreciate or respond to these types of letters.

8. Don’t ask for pictures, or artwork or any other type of personal item off them! They are not your personal little cash mule! Once the rapport is built up then you can judge for yourself whether a request for something like that may be granted. Also be sure to let them know that their letters are going to remain private and not sold to collectors or the press.

9 Hold true to your word and DON’T sell their letters, or any other media you get from them, either online or to the press.

10. It may be that they ask you for something, like a magazine or book or something. Just make sure this is allowed with the proper authorities at the prison first. DO NOT SEND THEM MONEY!

Check out this site for the full list of addresses for serial killers currently in prison.

Disclaimer: Writing to serial killers is done at your own risk. Serial Killers Central and its authors take no responsibility for the actions of our readers.